Atrocious After Sales Service From Bosch - Beware!

[lachesis 0]

Hello everyone,

As a cautionary tale to all, I have to share our experience with Bosch's after sales service. We're generally happy with their product. Bought a fridge (side by side model KAN62V00-02, see pix of the fridge in our t-blog, washing machine (WAS28444) and oven (HBA23B550J) in Oct last year.

The fridge is working well, as are the oven and washing machine. There was only one small problem (or so I thought) - the right door handle on my fridge started squeaking whenever we open the fridge. This started in Feb 2011. This small little issue has since exposed how incompetent and unprofessional the after sales service is at Bosch!!

Here's the chain of events:

19 Feb 2011

Bosch technician Mr Chan comes to investigate. It's a new model, and the first time they have come across it. He tightens the handle. The squeaking stops.

Good and polite service by Mr Chan.

28 Mar 2011

The Bosch technician Mr Chan comes by again as the handle is squeaking again only after 4 weeks. He tightens it again, and suggest that if the sound comes back we should consider getting the whole handle changed.

29 Mar 2011 (the very next day!)

The handle is squeaking again.

30 Mar 2011

I call Bosch to tell them about the problem again. I speak to Edmund (sounds a bit blur). Bosch says the parts will take about 2- 3 weeks to come in as they have to order it from Germany.

2-3 weeks later, sometime mid April

I call to ask about the parts. I speak to Jasmine, who says they're not in yet, and to wait another 2-3 weeks. I'm also told that Edmund has quit.

28 April

It is now ONE MONTH after I called to ask for a replacement handle, and 2.5 months since my handle first started to squeak. This time I speak to Jessie. She says the parts aren't in yet, but will call me back before the end of the day with update. SHE DOESN'T CALL BACK.

29 April

Jasmine calls me to tell me the parts are in, and that I CAN COME AND COLLECT THE PARTS FROM THEM.

OMFG .... collect the parts from them!?!?!? :jawdrop: How can I, the customer be asked to come and collect parts? This is for a fridge handle! Am I supposed to fix it myself?!?!

From my subsequent conversation with Jasmine I realise that there is no proper record of my case. My name was recorded wrongly. They keep calling me "Patricia".

There was also obviously no record of what the problem was. I had to explain the case to FOUR different people (Mr Chan, Jasmine, Jessie, Edmund). In between, Edmund and Mr Chan had since resigned. There was no proper handover or follow-up for my case. Jasmine had no idea it was a squeaky handle, and it was only the right side. She asked if there was a malfunction, and then later even said she'd recorded that both handles are making noise!

Jasmine also said to me that there were a total of five parts. How can I, the customer, be expected to know how many parts there are in their fridge handle?

I wrote them a nasty e-mail where I said "I state for the record - the RIGHT door handle on my fridge is squeaking, and it needs to be replaced. It's THAT SIMPLE." NO one from customer services replies. Only their marketing person replies to say sorry (we met a nice marketing lady at the showroom, looped her into the e-mail too).

Jasmine then said she could arrange for the technician to come by on 3 May, between 10am and 2pm. I asked for him to come between 10am and 12noon, as I had to be back in the office after noon. I also reminded them to ensure that their technician has all the necessary parts and tools to fix this once and for all as the hubby or I can't keep taking leave to deal with this. Jasmine said her technician would call me on the morning of 3rd May to confirm the time.

3 May 2011

No suprises on 3 May. No one calls to confirm the timing. I have to call Bosch at 10am to ask what time the technician is coming. This time I speak to Cynthia. She says the technician is coming at 11am.

The technician Alvin comes on time. BUT, he shows up with only his document bag (no parts in sight). I ask him, you brought the parts. He asks me "What parts?" I say "For the door handle!"

And as I rant about already explaining to his office, he asks to come in to take a look.

After looking at the handle, and opening the fridge a few times, he asks to let him remove my vegetable drawer so he can check the model number! Meaning he doesn't even know what model it is! He then says he will go down to his van to look for the parts.

I call Bosch and speak to Cynthia again, who sounds exasperated that Alvin doesn't know what is happening, and assures me she will call him and talk to him. WTH is going on???

Alvin comes back with the handle and fixes it up. When I go over to try it, I see that the corner is damaged!

OMFG... they really know how to add insult to injury! Now we have to order a NEW HANDLE which will take god knows how many more weeks, and we'll have to take leave again to get them to come over to fix it! Even if this was a new model, they really should have spare parts of hand, instead of ordering the spare parts one at a time from Germany. If they are ready to sell it, they should be ready to fix it.

It's obvious people in their Service & Warranty section don't talk to each other. They don't record customer's instructions properly, they don't brief their technicians properly. I called them back to relate today's experience. This time I spoket to Jasmine. They explained that they don't open up such parts as customers may ask why the parts have been opened up already, and whether they are new parts or used before. Instead, they're okay with bringing damaged parts to a customer's house!

So, Jasmine says they will order the new handle on 'urgent' basis (i.e. 10 working days or so). I gave her a lecture on keeping customers updated and briefing her technical staff.

I expected a lot more for Bosch. First in terms of the quality of the product, and second in terms of service. Can you imagine what it'd been like if it wasn't just my door handle? What if it was a vital component of the fridge? Am I supposed to have made do without refridgeration for 2.5 months??

So fellow forumers, be wary of their after sales service. If you should find yourselves having to deal with their Service & Warranty section (hopefully not!) , play it safe, drop them e-mails to document all conversations with their staff. Obviously no one keeps records.

Stay tuned on how long they take to rectify this situation. I'll probably only get the new fridge handle after National Day.

**edited to fix link to t-blog

Edited May 9, 2011 by lachesis

[kw2010 0]

sometime we jus meet with such event that turn consumer off... once i met with such problem... but not with fridge but a home safe... the company involved is H**

bought a relatively mid-end european safe and when deliverd... it emitted a strong pungent sour smell... much like mouldy cupboard... called and was told its the smell of all new safe... i believed them...

6 month later with all sort of attempts to remove the smell... the safe still linger with that mouldy smell...

endless emails endless calls with poor customer services... i finally gave up and sold my safe cheaply to another buyer who didnt mind the smell...

never i will ever buy anything from them again...

[Spikey 0]

what does our friendly renotalk bosch sales rep have to say about this mess? It really is ridiculous.

[titanax 0]

hey terry84, maybe you can do some service recovery from your end.

Because from now on I AM NOT going to recommend this fridge or even BOSCH to anyone. I would rather buy an LG, and that's saying alot. The after sales support is so incompetent, even my newspaper vendor MAMA uncle has a much better organised system !!!!

The Washing Machine is working fine & it is still built like a rock! (Kudos to German engineering), I can say the same to the oven (even though I just found out its actually a SIEMENS OEM, apparently BOSCH does not make its ovens but OEMS it from SIEMENS, not sure if it for all models - but I don't really care as long as it works)

The side-by-side is MIC. I was told the engineering parts are german but plastics are MIC, & therein lies our problem. So much for QC...makes me say now BOSCH so wat? MIC still is crap...

FELLOW RT folks you have been duly warned

Edited May 3, 2011 by titanax

[shuying 0]

hey terry84, maybe you can do some service recovery from your end.

Because from now on I AM NOT going to recommend this fridge or even BOSCH to anyone. I would rather buy an LG, and that's saying alot. The after sales support is so incompetent, even my newspaper vendor MAMA uncle has a much better organised system !!!!

The Washing Machine is working fine & it is still built like a rock! (Kudos to German engineering), I can say the same to the oven (even though I just found out its actually a SIEMENS OEM, apparently BOSCH does not make its ovens but OEMS it from SIEMENS, not sure if it for all models - but I don't really care as long as it works)

The side-by-side is MIC. I was told the engineering parts are german but plastics are MIC, & therein lies our problem. So much for QC...makes me say now BOSCH so wat? MIC still is crap...

FELLOW RT folks you have been duly warned

Hi Titanax,

Did anyone recommend Bosch fridge to u personally ? i guess the answer is no. Most of the ppl do not buy bosch fridge last time as they do not have fridge range in past market. In fact, bosch totally not well known in fridge. Most of the ppl buy bcoz of the appearance or want the whole kitchen appliances to be the same brand. The name is a trusted brand but not on all products. Usually sales person will tell u parts from germany then assemble in china. Pls dont trust them. Always remember only electronics stuffs can buy MIC but not white goods or those things that u need it to last long. China will never makes durable products. I am quite upset when you share the after sales service experience. Hope they can fix ur fridge asap.

[lachesis 0]

Hey everyone,

Buying based on friend's recommendations may not always be the best way to source for products. There are many new models on the market, some could be quite good but no one has tried yet.

In our case, the problem was not even the fridge itself (thankfully). It was a door handle, and only ONE of two door handles at that! The left one handle has been working fine since Day 1, and still is. The damaged replacement handle is also working fine as at today. In any case, whether it's MIC, assembled there, partially assembled there, their after sales service completely broke down.

There has been update since the my first post there. Their Manager of Customer Service, David called me on Friday to apologise, and said they would rush the parts over by DHL, which will take about 3-4 working days. It should be in by mid-week, which is when he'll call again and make arrangements for it to get fixed. He assured me that my case was an exception, not the norm for them in terms of customer service - I sincerely hope so. He also assured me they are looking at their internal procedures. I can only hope this translates into better case management and that no one else gets the run around like this. I'm sure I popped a few blood vessels talking to their staff on the phone.

Stay tuned for how this turns out.

[kw2010 0]

Good to hear that bosch is looking into the matter... it could an one off event caused by a group of incompetent staffs... we all seen before how those staffs can screw up a perfectly good organisation... wink wink...

[lc82 0]

after reading this, i am seriously considering whether to buy a bosch vented dryer now. the sales ppl told me its made in poland.

[hAPPy889 1]

after reading this, i am seriously considering whether to buy a bosch vented dryer now. the sales ppl told me its made in poland.

At least it's in Europe. Most production has been moved out of Europe to Asia. I was looking for a washing machine and the only European made within my budget was in Turkey!

[tenjamine 0]

I sincerely hope so,and I will to buy one. Because I will married with my household, we also get ready to our new household items.

Edited October 20, 2011 by tenjamine

[w33liam 0]

Hi lachesis, thanks for sharing this incident, I've dropped the idea of getting a Bosch Fridge after reading this post.

[binchotan 0]

im thinking of getting a bosch washing machine, mayb i shld drop the idea after reading that their after sales service sucks to the core......

[folwer 0]

Hi lachesis, thanks for sharing this incident, I've dropped the idea of getting a Bosch Fridge after reading this post.

Hi you sure able that? from what I read, the poster is having some after sales services from Bosch. What I'm seeing is that while they are a little screw up in the after sale tracking department, it does seems that they are trying their best to make good on the warranty. they eventually even shipped the parts by DHL after recognizing the poster's frustration.

Not many companies will go up to that extend in serving their customer.....

[deleo88 0]

Oh no, we have bought the same fridge fr courts recently.... Crossing fingers tight for no faulty parts!

[SiSi 0]

I bought a washer, dishwasher and a built-in oven from Bosch. Had a pleasant experience with the services and love their products.